Cartoon Heroes
by superstarpiper
Summary: The demon of illusion is back, and wreaking havoc on the children of San Francisco... The Charmed Ones decide to take him on...in a cartoon?!


Cartoon Heroes  
  
Part 1  
  
"Melinda, honey, come away from the TV." Piper stood in the doorway, motioning to her 6 year old daughter, who was staring at the television set. Melinda didn't hear her mum talking to her. "Melinda!" Piper walked over closer to Melinda and squatted down. "I've got some fresh out of the oven peanut butter cookies just sitting on the kitchen counter. They look pretty lonely." Before Piper had finished her sentence, the petite brown child had already disappeared through the doorway. Piper chuckled as she stood up and followed her daughter.  
  
Piper entered the kitchen to see Melinda swept up in the arms of her beloved husband.  
  
"Leo!" Piper exclaimed, "How nice of you to join us!" She winked at him and kissed him. He set Melinda down on her feet, patting her head. She scampered off to the counter, stood on her tip-toes and stretched her small arms towards the platter of cookies.  
  
Leo turned his head towards Piper and pulled her into an embrace. "I missed you." He murmured into her hair. She pulled back from him, smiling, "I missed you too." Before they got the chance to kiss once more, a loud crash startled them.  
  
Melinda turned around guiltily. "Oops." Her eyes glanced down towards the shattered glass platter and a small smile spread across her face.  
  
"Melinda!" Piper rushed over to pick her up. "Melinda, are you okay?" Piper brushed Melinda's bangs away from her eyes and carried her into the parlour. Setting her down in front of the television, she asked her once more, "You okay, sweetie?" Melinda nodded and transferred her gaze from her mother to the colourful images on the TV. Piper stood and headed for the kitchen to help Leo clean up the mess her daughter had created.  
  
Leo was bent over the shattered glass, picking it up piece by piece. When Piper walked in, he looked up at her worriedly, "Piper, did you notice something strange about Melinda?"  
  
Kneeling next to him, Piper gave him a strange look. "Well, sure she doesn't usually break things, Leo, but she's a child, that's what children do." She took the glass from his hands and dumped it in the nearby trash bin. Leo's eyes followed her as she went to the cabinet to grab the broom and dustpan to make sure they'd swept up the last of the glass. Suddenly Piper thought of something.  
  
"Leo." Piper spun around to face him. "Melinda wasn't very upset when she knocked over the platter, was she?"  
  
He looked at her suspiciously, "No, she wasn't. She'd usually get pretty worked up if she did something like that, wouldn't she?"  
  
Piper shook her head. "You know, it's probably nothing. We're just overreacting."  
  
Leo smiled and took her in his arms, "Now we know that you are definitely having an influence on me."  
  
She punched him playfully and smiled. "Leo.." But was cut off by Leo's lips on hers. She instantly forgot all about his sarcastic remarks and kissed him back.  
  
Piper smiled at her husband, "Want a cookie?" They both glanced at the broken cookie bits strewn across the kitchen counter and laughed.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The bright sunlight of the early morning poured through the open window of Phoebe's bedroom, resting on her face. The warmth of the rays caused her to wake up, greeting the new day with a smile. She turned over to face her husband who was still sleeping peacefully, a smile on his face. She leant over and kissed his cheek, the rough stubble brushing against her lips. He awoke with a soft moan and returned the kiss. "Happy anniversary," she whispered into his ear. Cole's eyes widened in fear as he realized he had forgotten the most important day of the year.again.  
  
"Uh.happy anniversary sweetheart," he mumbled guiltily.  
  
Suddenly Phoebe leapt out of bed giggling. "Wait until you see what I got for you, it's perfect!" she exclaimed. She ran towards the closet and tore the door open. She began to search for something throwing clothes in all directions.  
  
Cole sat up, "You want to exchange gifts right now?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah why not?" she responded.  
  
"Umm.because, well, mine would be so much more appropriate to give you later..at dinner." he replied, covering for himself.  
  
"Dinner?" she yelled. " I don't think I can wait that long. Especially not this time. You promised me something really special to make up for last year's disaster." She said as she rolled her eyes.  
  
"What? I thought you would like that movie." He defended himself.  
  
"Sabrina the Teenage Witch goes to Rome?! How insulting! Did you confuse me with Melinda?" Cole couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"I'm sorry! I promise you, tonight you will be a million times better. But now I have to get ready for work." Phoebe pouted and gave her husband those puppy dog eyes. He sighed, wishing he didn't have to leave her.  
  
"I'll see you tonight then. Don't forget my present." She said with a coy smile and kissed him goodbye. Cole smiled nervously and headed for the bathroom. As soon as he was out of earshot, Phoebe looked down, the smile leaving her face. "He forgot.again." She whispered to herself.  
  
Part 2  
  
The ringing sound of the phone echoed through the near empty Manor. "Oh I'm coming." Prue talked back to the phone frustratedly as she rushed into the hall from the solarium.  
  
"Hello?" She answered.  
  
"I've got multiple cases here, and I'm thinking they may be linked to you."  
  
"Nice to talk to you too, Darryl." Prue smirked. Darryl always handled business matters before personal. The sisters accepted that though, knowing that it was just because of his line of work.  
  
"Yeah, Prue. Anyway," he proceeded, "there have been several misconduct reports filed this hour alone."  
  
"So?" Prue was a bit annoyed at the fact that Darryl's first thought on crimes was always Halliwell related.  
  
"So, every single criminal is under the age of eight." Darryl opened a dossier, skimmed over it and closed it again impatiently.  
  
"Yeah, so what does this have to do with us?" Prue rolled her eyes, remembering the book she was in the middle of reading. All she could think of was whether Elizabeth would accept Darcy's proposal. I mean, Darcy was so gorgeous and rich, but he'd been so rude to Elizabeth and her family. Prue didn't think Elizabeth would accept.but was it foolish, or not? I mean money, Pemberley, hor-  
  
"Prue? Prue are you even listening to me?" Darryl was getting very frustrated. He had a lot of work to do, and wanted to know whether he was going to have to cover his tracks with these cases or not.  
  
Prue shook her head, snapping out of her Pride and Prejudice world, and quickly remembered what she and Darryl had been discussing.  
  
"No, Darryl, despite what you may think, not every suspicious case is supernatural." She retorted.  
  
"Okay, okay, sorry Prue. If anything comes up though, please let me know." Darryl hung up without even saying goodbye, although that wasn't unusual.  
  
Prue hung up and returned to Pride and Prejudice.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Look, mummy!" Melinda squealed as Leo pushed her higher on the swing. Piper, who was standing nearby, smiled. The three of them had spent the perfect day together. Magic-free. That was the most important thing. They had gone to Golden Gate Park, had a picnic and played games. Piper leaned against the metal pole supporting the swings and smiled at Leo. She loved watching him play with Melinda. It was one of her most favourite things to do.  
  
Leo's laughing face suddenly turned serious. Piper had seen that expression for so many years. She sighed, uncrossed her arms and walked over to take Leo's place pushing Melinda.  
  
"Melinda, honey, daddy has to go now, so I'll push you." When Melinda was in mid air, Piper leaned over and kissed Leo. "Please don't be too long." She said to him quietly, with a pleading look in her eyes. He nodded to her and walked off to a secluded area to orb out.  
  
"I know I'm not as good of a pusher as Daddy, but I can try, can't I?!" Piper joked with her daughter.  
  
Melinda suddenly dragged her feet along the sand below the swings. Piper gave her a confused look and stopped pushing. "Melinda?"  
  
"I'm sick of swinging." Melinda looked up at Piper with wide eyes. "I wanna go home and watch TV!" Piper stroked Melinda's hair.  
  
"Honey, it's not time to go home yet. Daddy's going to be back soon and we were going to go for a walk along the pier."  
  
Melinda started jumping up and down impatiently, "No!" She yelled, "I wanna watch TV.NOW!!!"  
  
Piper put her hands on Melinda's shoulders to stop her from throwing a tantrum, "Okay, okay honey." Piper looked around to see if any other parents were watching. She didn't want to appear to not be in control of her own daughter. "Come on, Melinda, help mummy pack up the picnic and we'll go home." She smiled nervously at her daughter and led her towards the picnic basket on the nearby table.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Cole rushed into the office bumping into Darryl on the way in.  
  
"Woah there," Darryl said as the contents of his colleague's briefcase spilled onto the floor. "Is everything okay?" He asked.  
  
"Not exactly," Cole replied. "I could use your help. I've screwed up royally.again."  
  
"What this time?" Darryl inquired.  
  
"The worst of the worst," Cole responded.  
  
"Oh no," said Darryl. "You forgot the anniversary again didn't you?"  
  
"I didn't mean to, honestly. I don't know what's wrong with me. What do I do?" Cole asked, sincerely worried. Darryl chuckled and patted his friend on the back.  
  
"Been there," he said. "You want my advice? Take her out for an expensive dinner and buy her an even more expensive piece of jewellery. Works every time."  
  
"Thanks. I owe you one." Cole picked up his briefcase, turned around and headed back out.  
  
"Don't you have work to do?" Darryl asked, but Cole was already out the door.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Melinda! Melinda, honey, where are you?!" Piper wasn't really in the mood for hide and seek. It had been hours since Leo had left them and she still hadn't heard from him. But now she was concentrating on getting Melinda ready for bed. She hadn't heard a peep from her since they had gotten home; Melinda had made a beeline for the TV. And when Piper announced that there were fresh Dutch chocolate brownies in the kitchen, she didn't hear the familiar sound of Melinda racing through the house to pick up a handful of the goodies. Piper walked from room to room and finally came across her daughter, who was planted in front of the TV, mesmerized by what she was watching. Since it was 8 pm, there were no cartoons on; Melinda was actually watching Survivor XI: Red Planet, which was far beyond her comprehension, yet she didn't take her eyes off the screen. Piper thought this was very odd, and tried to get Melinda's attention, but Melinda didn't move. Piper sighed. "Fine, Melinda. I think I'll have to go get the tickle monster!" Piper smiled and left the room only to re-enter seconds later.  
  
"I'm coming to get you, Melinda!" Piper exclaimed in a gruff monster voice. She made her way over to Melinda and started tickling her all over. Piper stopped when she got no reaction from Melinda. Piper scratched her head; the tickle monster always got Melinda giggling.  
  
Piper had no choice. She bent down and picked up Melinda in her arms. The little girl immediately started kicking and fighting her mother. "Melinda!" Piper yelled. "You stop this right now, missy, or else you'll be in big trouble." Piper carried the squirming child up to her room and handed her a pair of pink pajamas. "Get into your jammies and I'll be with you in a minute to help you brush your teeth." Piper closed the door and headed for the stairs. She was at the bottom landing, just about to go down the last few steps when Leo appeared at the bottom.  
  
"Leo! Where have you been? I need to talk to you." Piper asked him.  
  
He opened his mouth to explain, but before he could, Melinda appeared behind Piper. Without Piper even knowing, Melinda had followed her down the stairs. She had an evil grin across her face. Before Leo had a chance to tell Piper that Melinda was there, Melinda had violently pushed Piper with a strength not normally possessed by a six year old.  
  
Piper fell hard down the steps and landed at Leo's feet. He looked from his daughter to his unconscious wife with despair. "Melinda!" He rarely raised his voice at her, and when he did, she began to cry. "Get up to your room and I'll deal with you in a minute!" She turned on her heel and ran up to her room sobbing. Seconds later Leo heard her door slam.  
  
He picked Piper up and carried her over to the couch. He set her down and healed her. Stroking her hair, he asked her, "Piper, are you okay?"  
  
Part 3  
  
"Can I open my eyes now?" Phoebe asked Cole whose hands were over her eyes.  
  
"In just a sec." He replied, awkwardly trying to close the car door and keep Phoebe from finding out where she was at the same time. He carefully led her to the entrance of the restaurant where he was taking her for a romantic anniversary dinner. It was called Chez Pierre.  
  
"Open your eyes sweetheart," Cole said removing his hands from her face. When Phoebe realized where she was her eyes lit up as a smile spread across her face.  
  
"Oh honey this is perfect!" she exclaimed while hugging her husband. With a sigh of relief Cole led his wife into the restaurant where they were greeted by the Maitre D. They were seated at a table adorned with flowers and candles, adding to the romantic ambience of the restaurant. After dinner they were serenaded by violinists and given dessert on the house. While eating her chocolate soufflé Phoebe wondered whether now would be a good time to give Cole his anniversary present - or rather just tell him about it.  
  
"Cole," she started. "There's something I really have to tell you."  
  
"Wait," he interrupted. "Let me give you your gift first."  
  
"You mean this wasn't it?" she asked.  
  
"This dinner was only the first part," he replied. Then he pulled a long velvet box out of his jacket pocket and handed it to his wife. Phoebe opened the box and stared at its contents in disbelief. Inside was a stunning diamond necklace like something straight out of a movie.  
  
"Oh my god," Phoebe whispered and looked up at Cole.  
  
"Do you like it?" Cole asked eagerly.  
  
"Do I like it? I love it! It's gorgeous. Thank you so much! But how could you-"  
  
"Shh.don't worry about the price. Let me put it on you," he said taking the necklace. He stood up behind his wife delicately putting the necklace around her neck.  
  
"How does it look?" asked Phoebe.  
  
"Stunning. Just like you." He replied. Phoebe blushed and kissed her husband. "Now what was it you were going to tell me?"  
  
"Right," said Phoebe. She took her husbands hands in hers and took a deep breath. "For our anniversary I can't give you your present right away." Cole looked puzzled. "You are going to have to wait.nine months." He still had a confused look on his face. "Honey, I'm pregnant." BANG!!! "Oh no! Cole, sweetie!" Phoebe yelled as she ran to her husband who was lying unconscious on the restaurant's floor. "Can somebody get me some water???  
  
"Mmmmm..what, what happened?" asked Cole as he slowly regained consciousness. Phoebe stroked his hair and looked at him with concern in her eyes.  
  
"You fainted," she said but couldn't help smiling.  
  
"What you said.is it true? I'm.I'm gonna be a dad?" Cole asked, still a bit disoriented.  
  
"Are you happy?" she asked.  
  
"This is definitely the best anniversary present ever!" Cole replied. Suddenly he jumped up, raised his arms in the air and yelled to the entire crowd in the restaurant. "I'm gonna be a DAD!!!" Cheers rose up from the people sitting at the tables nearby. Phoebe looked nervously around and pulled Cole back down to his seat.  
  
"Okay I realize you're excited but do you have to embarrass us in front of everyone???"  
  
"I'm sorry," Cole said grinning from ear to ear. "I love you." Phoebe smiled at the man in front of her.  
  
"I love you too." She leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips. But their embrace was interrupted by a loud scream coming from outside the restaurant. They ran out to see what had happened and couldn't believe what they found. A car had hit a young woman, and standing on the curb beside her was a young child, no more than six years old, grinning.  
  
"See mommy," he said. "I'm not taking a bath!" Then he ran off down the street, leaving his mother seriously wounded in the street. Phoebe and Cole looked at each other worriedly and chased after the boy. He turned down an alleyway and seemingly disappeared. The couple heard sirens approaching and decided to let the police handle the situation although Phoebe couldn't shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Hello!" Prue yelled, slamming the Manor door behind her. "Anyone home?!" She walked inside and poked her head into the parlour, where she was shocked to find Piper lying unconscious on the couch with her head on Leo's lap. Leo looked up at Prue with a very worried look on his face.  
  
"Leo! What happened?! Which demon was it? Is she gonna be okay?" Prue dropped her things and rushed over to kneel next to her sister.  
  
"She's unconscious, but she should wake up soon. I'm still concerned about her, but I'm more concerned about how it happened." Leo said quietly.  
  
"Elaborate.which demon was it?"  
  
"Prue, it wasn't a demon." Prue shook her head. She opened her mouth to ask another question, but before she could, Leo had given her the information she wanted. "It was Melinda."  
  
Prue stood up frantically, "What?!" She cried in disbelief. "How?! Why?! Where is she now?"  
  
Leo took a deep breath before answering all of Prue's questions. "Well, Piper was on the bottom landing of the stairs," Leo said, nodding his head to the stairs, "and Melinda snuck up behind her and just shoved her down the stairs. I don't know why.she wasn't herself. I yelled at her, and she seemed to snap out of it and began wailing." Prue just stood there in shock. "I sent her to her room, I just hope she's still there."  
  
Prue reached over and stroked Leo's hand reassuringly. "It's gonna be okay, Leo. We'll figure this out. I'll go check on Melinda, see if she's okay." Leo nodded, forcing a small smile, and Prue left to go console Melinda.  
  
As soon as Prue was out of earshot, Leo whispered to Piper, "Piper, honey, I know you can hear me. Please wake up. I love you. And know that Melinda loves you too, and she didn't mean to do what she did." He bent down and softly kissed her forehead, but she still didn't wake up.  
  
"Piper! Leo! Prue!" Phoebe and Cole burst into the Manor. "We've got a problem!" Phoebe led Cole into the parlour, and they both stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Leo and Piper on the couch. Their initial reaction mirrored that of Prue's. "Leo, what happened?!"  
  
Leo sighed and repeated the story; Phoebe and Cole were both as shocked as Prue was.  
  
"Well.Cole and I saw something unusual at the restaurant tonight." Phoebe took a seat next to Leo, and Cole slumped into a nearby chair. Leo looked at Phoebe, telling her to continue.  
  
Phoebe took a deep breath. She was still a bit shaken up after what she saw. "We saw a little boy, no more than six years old, and he was standing next to his mother's severely injured body. He had pushed her into traffic and a car hit her. He yelled at her that he wouldn't take a bath. Then he just ran off."  
  
"It's all making sense." Prue said, entering the parlour. Leo looked at her expectantly. "Oh, Melinda's fine, she's fast asleep." Leo breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"What makes sense?" Cole looked up at Prue.  
  
"Well, Darryl called me earlier today to tell me that there have been a string of crimes recently. The odd thing about these crimes is that the culprits are all children under the age of eight. And, most of their victims are their parents. I told Darryl that I didn't know anything about it, but now I'm not so sure." Prue explained. Before anyone was able to answer, Piper stirred, sparking Leo's attention.  
  
"Piper.Piper, honey, are you okay?" Piper tried to lift herself to a sitting position, but she was too weak.  
  
"Leo? Leo, what happened?" Piper said softly, putting her hand to her throbbing head. "Where's Melinda? She is gonna be so grounded."  
  
Leo stroked her hair, "Piper, it's okay, Melinda's sleeping. We're gonna figure this out. You need to stay here with your sisters and Cole while I go ask the Elders what's going on." Leo lifted Piper's head from his lap and stood up. Prue rushed over to take Leo's spot. Piper was too weak to argue, she just nodded and rested her head back down on Prue's lap while Leo orbed out.  
  
"Shhh Piper, it's okay.Melinda's alright.just rest, honey." Prue whispered to her sister.  
  
The four of them sat in silence until Leo returned a few minutes later. One look at Leo's grave face told them that the situation wasn't good. He looked from one sister to another, giving Piper a small smile to let her know that he was relieved that she was alright. She returned that small smile, but when they remembered the situation on hand, both smiles faded fast.  
  
"The Elders are pretty concerned.it's not a good situation we're in. The demon of illusion is back." Leo began.  
  
"But we." Phoebe started.  
  
"Vanquished him.not really. Well, actually, you did, but the Source found a way to bring him back. He's not as powerful, though, he can't go into movies, he can only go into the television. But this time, he's making his home in cartoons, because he wants to affect children, because they're more vulnerable and more receptive to new ideas, evil or good."  
  
"So you mean the kids have been possessed by the television?" Prue asked.  
  
"Basically, yes. So the good news is that Melinda and the other children aren't really evil." Leo replied.  
  
"But they're possessed." Piper asked, trying to get things straight in her head.  
  
"Right." Leo nodded.  
  
"So how do we fix this?" Phoebe asked Leo.  
  
"Oh no." Prue remembered something. "We have to."  
  
"Go into the cartoons." Piper finished.  
  
The sisters exchanged worried looks.  
  
"This is insane!" yelled Phoebe. "How do you go into a cartoon?"  
  
"The same way we went into a movie," answered Prue. "I'll get started on the potion right now." She hurried off into the kitchen followed by Piper and Leo. Phoebe flopped down on the couch and sighed.  
  
"Perfect timing," she said to Cole. "And just right when I was about to break the news to them." Cole sat down beside his wife and stroked her hair gently.  
  
"Honey whatever ends up happening I think you should sit this one out.you know, being in your condition."  
  
"Cole, I'm pregnant, not made of glass. Whatever has to be done I'm gonna participate."  
  
"You are always so stubborn," said Cole, kissing his wife on the cheek. "Maybe we should go lend a hand?"  
  
"The only place I want your hands is on me," replied Phoebe with a devilish grin.  
  
"Ooooh, I like that idea," responded Cole as he leaned in to plant a big kiss on Phoebe's lips.  
  
Suddenly Prue walked in interrupting their private moment, a look of disgust crossing her face.  
  
"Really you two, get a room. We're out of thyme so we'll have to finish the potion in the morning. I'm going to bed now so goodnight."  
  
"Night sis," said Phoebe lying in Cole's arms. "Do you think we'll make good parents?" she asked him when her sister had left.  
  
"I think we'll be great parents," he replied. The two of them got up from the couch and headed upstairs to their bedroom. The manor was soon silent surrounded by the quietness of the cool night air. But the peace was deceiving because inside the house lurked a familiar evil soon to be rediscovered.  
  
Part 4  
  
"Bugs Bunny? You're joking right?" Prue asked Piper with a huge grin across her face. Piper shook her head. "Oh man, this is too funny!! We are actually going into Bugs Bunny!"  
  
"It's not a joke, Prudence," scolded Piper wagging her finger at her sister. "This is what Melinda has been watching lately. Just give us the potion so we can get this over with." Prue handed each of her sisters a bottle of pink liquid. Then she gave one to Cole and Leo.  
  
"Here goes nothing," said Piper and she turned on the television. The group looked at each other nervously with their potions in hand. "1.2.3.go!" They all put the small bottles to their mouths and drank. Nothing.  
  
"Why didn't it work?" asked Phoebe.  
  
"I don't know," answered Prue looking around her. But as soon as the words had come out of her mouth she felt a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. All of the sudden the room started spinning and she got the impression that she was slowly getting smaller and smaller. Suddenly the world went black as Prue felt herself falling and then landing abruptly. When she opened her eyes, she couldn't believe what she saw. She and the rest of her family had entered the cartoon. They were all standing together in disbelief as they took in their surroundings. As they were getting adjusted to their new setting, something suddenly whizzed by them at super speed knocking Piper off her feet. As it ran by, the only noise it made was a quick beeping noise, almost like "meep meep." Leo ran over to his wife and helped her up.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"I'm fine," she answered. "But that thing's not gonna be once I get my hands on it."  
  
"I don't believe it," said Cole. "Was that.nah, couldn't be."  
  
"I think you're right," Prue said, the huge grin returning to her face. "That.that was the road runner!!"  
  
"Oh my god!" yelled Phoebe as she looked herself up and down. "Where is my third dimension?"  
  
Prue rolled her eyes at her youngest sister. "Only you, Pheebs."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Phoebe said indignantly.  
  
"Stop it, both of you." Piper stepped between her sisters. "I'm not here to mediate between the two of you. I'm here to save my daughter and the rest of the children in San Francisco from this menacing -."  
  
A loud crash prevented Piper from finishing her sentence. The sisters, Leo and Cole searched the isolated desert they had been plunked into.  
  
Exchanging looks, the five of them began walking in the direction of the noise. While wandering seemingly aimlessly for a while, Piper spotted a large black anvil in the middle of the road. As they neared the site, a small arm became visible from underneath the anvil.  
  
"Oh god." Phoebe's hand rose to cover her gaping mouth. Prue ran over to the anvil with the intention of using her powers to gently lift the anvil and move it a few metres away. However, when she lifted her hand to move the anvil, it didn't move, but rather, it shrank. It shrank, and jumped into the palm of Prue's hand. Prue looked at it incredulously, but was momentarily distracted when the small brown arm that was underneath the anvil belonged to Wile E. Coyote.  
  
"Whoa." Piper said, blinking hard to convince herself it was a dream. But it wasn't, and the coyote took one look at the five strange beings before him and took off, before anyone could ask any questions.  
  
After a few seconds, Prue again focused on the miniature anvil in her palm. She turned to Leo and held her hand up to his eye level, hoping to emphasize her concern.  
  
"Explain." She demanded.  
  
Leo was taken aback at first, you could see it in his eyes, but he quickly recovered and mustered up some reasoning. He wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but he had to offer some sort of explanation to Prue or else she'd be hell bent on figuring it out, rather than focusing of the real reason they were there.  
  
"Well, I'm assuming that since we're in a cartoon, our natural traits and characteristics are emphasized for comedic effect, and perhaps the writers, or whoever, thought that this would be a funnier power for you to have, rather than the norm." Leo raised his eyebrows, hoping Prue would just let the situation rest. She gave him a look of doubt, but shrugged it off. It was like time travel; she couldn't be bothered to try to figure it out.  
  
"I wonder what I'll be able to do." Piper said.  
  
Phoebe grinned, "I hope I can fly." Prue gave her a disapproving look.  
  
"Pheebs, that didn't work out too well when you got the warlock's flying power, now did it?"  
  
"Yeah, but this is a cartoon. And I think flying would be much funnier than levitating.don't you agree, Cole?"  
  
"Ahem, why yes, darling." Cole answered her with a grin.  
  
"Ohmygod." Piper looked up at Leo with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.  
  
"What is it, honey?" Leo's concern evident.  
  
"Melinda. She's all alone in the Manor. What are we gonna do?" Piper began to walk back and forth and frantically wrung her hands in despair. "She's gonna wake up and no one's going to be there and she won't know what's happened or what to do and..and.."  
  
Leo grabbed Piper's shoulders to calm her. "Shh.she'll be alright."  
  
"No, Leo, you don't know that. You don't. You can't give me a guarantee that she'll be alright." Her eyes were wide with fear. Suddenly they grew wider. "Leo?" She whispered softly. "What if a demon attacks her?"  
  
While Piper and Leo were having their discussion, a few yards away, Cole, Prue and Phoebe were discussing their plan of attack. They were completely oblivious to the family problem being dealt with by Piper and Leo.  
  
"So now that we're in the cartoon, all we have to do is find the Demon of Illusion and vanquish him." Phoebe worked through things in her mind.  
  
"But do we know where he is, or let alone how to vanquish him?" Prue countered her sister.  
  
"Well, no, but." Phoebe trailed off. Prue was right. They had no idea where the demon was, how to vanquish him, or if they were even in the right cartoon.  
  
Cole sighed and shook his head in frustration, "This is not really going as planned."  
  
"Did we even have a plan?" asked Prue.  
  
"Maybe not," replied Phoebe, "But Cole and I can get started on a spell right now. Why don't you join Piper and Leo and work on finding the demon?"  
  
"Alright," Prue answered and made her way over to the couple who were still discussing their daughter's safety. Prue saw the worried look on her sister's face as Leo held her. "What's up doc?" she asked.  
  
Piper gave her a rude look. "Sorry, just trying to lighten up the situation." Piper explained the problem. A sympathetic Prue gave her a hug and reassured her that everything would be okay. Although Piper wanted to believe her family, she still had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right at home. Prue went on to explain that Phoebe and Cole were working on a power of three spell to vanquish the demon of illusion once and for all. Now it was up to them to find him.  
  
"Piper, did Melinda say anything to you at all that would possibly suggest where he could be?" Leo asked.  
  
Piper thought to herself for a moment and then shrugged her shoulders. Suddenly her eyes widened and a smile spread across her face. "I have an idea!" she exclaimed. "It's sort of far-fetched but it could work." As she was about to describe her plan Phoebe and Cole returned to the group. Finally Piper was able to tell everyone the way she planned to find their target. When she had finished, she looked around the group with a hopeful expression on her face. She half expected everyone to disapprove but Prue stepped forward and said, "Let's try it."  
  
"Ready?" asked Piper exchanging glances with Phoebe and Prue.  
  
"Ready as we'll ever be," answered Phoebe. Leo and Cole stepped back to let the sisters do their work.  
  
"Magic forces black and white  
  
Reaching out through space and light  
  
Be he far or be he near  
  
Bring us the demon of illusion here"  
  
Nothing. The sisters looked around expecting to see who they had summoned. A disappointed look crossed all their faces.  
  
"Oh I knew it wouldn't work," Piper whined.  
  
"It's okay honey, I think I know what went wrong," said Leo consoling his wife. He went on to explain that the spell was written for the human realm, not the illusionary one.  
  
"Maybe," he continued, "If you manipulated the spell a bit you could make it so that he won't come to you but you can go to him."  
  
"Well thanks for telling us now! A little late wasn't it?" Piper yelled throwing her hands up in the air.  
  
"Piper relax," said Phoebe. "Leo has a point. We're not in our own world anymore so we shouldn't expect anything to work here. Not our powers and not our spells."  
  
"Okay miss know-it-all, what do we do?" asked Prue giving her sister a questioning look. Phoebe bit her lip in concentration.  
  
"We change the spell, uh, how about:  
  
'Magic forces in technicolour,  
  
Save this trip from getting duller,  
  
Through the cartoons, guide the way  
  
The demon of illusion has to pay.'  
  
Suddenly the Grand Canyon dissolved around them and they found themselves in a completely different environment.  
  
Part 5  
  
"Oh my gosh!" cried Phoebe grinning, "I seriously didn't think that stupid spell would work!" The group slowly took in their surroundings, once again confused as to where they had landed. From what they could gather they were in a dark city with many tall buildings. It seemed to be the middle of the night. The desolate streets were deserted save for a homeless man sleeping in a corner and a business man walking toward them with his head down. He quickened his pace when he caught sight of the intruders and pushed through them.  
  
"Hey!" yelled Prue at the person who had just bumped into her.  
  
"Sorry." he muttered, refusing to make eye contact.  
  
"Can you tell us where we are?" she asked. The man gave her a puzzled look and continued on his way. "Jerk." Prue added. Cole felt something brush by his leg and turned around to see what it was. A newspaper was being carried down the street by the wind and had hit him on the way. He bent down to pick it up and a look of disbelief crossed his face as he read the headline.  
  
"Are you going to share?" Prue inquired.  
  
Cole cleared his throat, "Riddler Strikes Again: Gotham City Under Attack."  
  
"Oh cool we're in Batman!" giggled Phoebe. "Keep reading!"  
  
"Gotham city has become the punch line of another one of Riddler's jokes. Today two influential business men, Bruce Wayne and Cornelius Bigbucks have been kidnapped. Ransom notes were sent to the homes of these two rich and powerful Gotham citizens. They were both signed by the Riddler, who interestingly enough not only wanted $5 million for their return but also full control of the city. If these demands are not met not only will he kill them both tomorrow, April 1st at noon, he will continue on a kidnapping spree. At this time the mayor refuses to comment but the question on everybody's mind is of course, where is Batman?"  
  
"This must be a sign," added Piper. "Maybe the demon of illusion is posing as the Riddler and it's our job to defeat him. Hey wait a minute, isn't Bruce Wayne Batman's alter ego?"  
  
"Yeah," responded Leo, "which means we can't get any help from him. Cole does it say where he's keeping them?"  
  
Cole quickly skimmed through the rest of the article. "All it says is that at the bottom of each ransom note was a riddle."  
  
"Quel surprise," added Prue. "What is it?"  
  
"A house full, a hole full, and you cannot gather a bowl full."  
  
"What?" asked Piper confused. "That makes no sense at all."  
  
"Well think about it," said Leo. "It may be the clue we need to find the demon. What is something you cannot put in a bowl but you can fill a house or a hole with?"  
  
"Air," replied Prue.  
  
"That's so lame," said Phoebe. "Air is everywhere, that can't be right."  
  
"Well do you have a better idea?" asked Prue.  
  
"Maybe," replied Cole. "Smoke."  
  
"That could work," agreed Leo. "He could be at a fire station!"  
  
"Oh honey, somehow I don't think that's exactly what he meant, but good try anyway sweetie," Piper said in a condescending voice. Leo looked hurt but kept thinking about the answer.  
  
"What about a factory or something that would have a smoke stack?" suggested Phoebe.  
  
"I think you may be getting at something, but we have no clue where any factories are in this place," responded Cole.  
  
"Maybe not," added Phoebe. She pointed upward and everyone craned their necks to see what she was showing them. Clouds of black smoke billowed out from behind the tall buildings behind them. Cole grabbed Phoebe's hand and pulled her aside from the group.  
  
"I don't want you going in with us," he said sternly.  
  
"I appreciate your concern, I really do, but it's my choice. And I will be fine. Didn't we already discuss this?" Phoebe asked putting her arms around her husband.  
  
"Well we're discussing it again," replied Cole returning the hug. "What if something happens?"  
  
"Nothing bad is ever going to happen to us again. And this is a perfect example of that. We'll go in, vanquish the demon and go home." Cole looked at his wife with worry and heaved a great sigh of frustration. Phoebe's determination was one of the reasons he loved her so much. He knew he shouldn't expect anything less than a hundred percent from her. He led her back to the group and they left the corner where they were standing and followed the smoke that was constantly emerging from a building behind them.  
  
When they finally reached the source of the black clouds they were at an even more deserted part of the city. The factory looked like it had been abandoned for years yet something was going on inside in order for it to be producing the fumes. The windows were either broken or missing and the door was non-existent. They walked through a curtain of cobwebs into the old edifice. Piper shrieked and jumped on to Leo when a rat ran across her feet. The screeching of bats could be heard from way up in the corners of the ceiling. The inside of the building was dark and musty and smelled of the smoke it was emitting. As they felt their way around Phoebe tripped over a piece of metal on the floor. She landed on piece of glass and cut her arm.  
  
"Ow ow ow.Leo heal now!" Cole picked Phoebe up from off the ground giving her an I-told-you-so look. Leo put his hands on the wound expecting it to go away but it didn't. In this realm he had lost his ability to heal the witches.  
  
"This could be a problem," he said.  
  
"Oh I'll be fine," said Phoebe.  
  
"I'm not worried about that small cut but what if something worse happens?" he asked.  
  
"Then we'll just have to make sure it doesn't," retorted Prue.  
  
Meanwhile Piper had wandered off from the group and found herself at a staircase. She opened her mouth to call to her family to join her but before she could get any sound out, a gloved hand covered it. She tried to scream but found it impossible. Suddenly she was dizzy and felt herself being carried up the stairs. A door opened and closed and Piper was taken to a dimly lit room. There she was seated on a wooden chair, bound and gagged. The last thing she remembered was a masked face grinning wildly in front of her. The stranger's body was covered in a green body suit with question marks all over. The Riddler, she thought to herself. Before Piper passed out she saw him point to a huge pot with steam rising from it and heard him say to her,  
  
"Riddle me this, riddle me that,  
  
What could be boiling in that vat?  
  
It will burn you alive 'till you are done,  
  
Unless your friends find me and spoil our fun!"  
  
With that Piper fell unconscious.  
  
Part 6  
  
"Did you hear that?" asked Prue to the people around her as a door slammed shut.  
  
"Yes I did," replied Phoebe, "and where's Piper?"  
  
"PIPER?" Leo called out into the darkness, "Oh no, where did she go?"  
  
The group began to search for their missing member, but was unsuccessful.  
  
"Let's split up," suggested Cole. "I'll take this side with Phoebe," he said gesturing to the right, "and you and Prue take that one."  
  
The couples looked around their respective sides of the room until a cry of "Yes!" was heard coming from the right. Phoebe had run her hand along the wall and found a switchboard. She flicked on the lights one by one until everything in the room became visible. They were surrounded by boxes and crates that had been left over from the people who had previously used the building. Among these were also tubs and barrels that could have possibly held some sort of liquid. Leo was the first to notice the staircase and ran towards it. Soon the others had caught up to him and were making their way up the rusty old stairs. He rushed to the door at the top and attempted to open it. The door was locked and he struggled with it in vain. "PIPER!" he yelled again, banging his fists with desperation on the door.  
  
"Let's see what power I have in this world," said Phoebe as she pushed past Leo to the door. She turned the knob and focused her energy into her task. At once the door popped off its hinges and fell to the ground.  
  
"Cool! Super strength. Too bad we didn't go into Superman.mmm.that Clark Kent."  
  
"Uh excuse me?" Cole interrupted her fantasy.  
  
"Did I say Clark Kent? I totally meant Cole Turner. But you're so cute when you're jealous."  
  
"Guys this is neither the time nor the place," added Prue.  
  
"Right," said Phoebe wiping her lips from the kiss she had just planted on her husband. "We're in a cartoon, it's easy to get distracted."  
  
"Oh my god," Leo suddenly whispered. They all turned to see what was inside the room. Prue's eyes widened in horror as one hand shot up to cover her mouth. Phoebe turned and hid her face in her husband's chest. None of them could believe what they saw in front of them.  
  
  
  
Part 7  
  
The Riddler was standing near a large switchboard with the evilest of grins plastered on his face. He was slowly but surely lowering Piper into the vat. He had hung her upside down on a large hook, bound and gagged. If she hadn't tied her hair back that morning, it would have already been consumed by the bubbling and boiling liquid in the vat. She had finally come to, and was horrified to see her family standing at the door, watching her final moments. She was completely helpless, and from the looks of it, so were her family. She desperately tried to wriggle free from the bindings but it was no use. The Riddler had tied them too tight.  
  
"Piper!" Leo cried out, stepping forward. Prue pulled him back.  
  
"Leo, we'll save her. We just need to think of how to vanquish the Riddler."  
  
"It shouldn't be too hard, I mean, tracking him down was supposed to be the hard part, wasn't it?" Phoebe lifted her head from Cole's chest. "All we need to do is think of a spell, and he should be gonzo."  
  
"Well for God's sake take your time, Phoebe!" Leo yelled impatiently. "Piper is seconds away from being." He didn't want to continue. He just looked up at his wife who looked back at him, her eyes pleading to be saved. The look he gave her was promising, despite the doubt that was racing through his mind.  
  
"But wait, Pheebs, wouldn't the vanquishing spell need to be a Power of Three spell?" Prue moved towards her sister.  
  
Phoebe looked defeated and nodded her head in agreement. "We need to save Piper to vanquish the Riddler. But how on earth are we supposed to do that? We have, oh, five seconds before our sister is.well, you know." Phoebe said, stealing a quick glance at Piper.  
  
"I've got an idea. Phoebe, take the Riddler out." Prue ordered.  
  
Phoebe looked confused. "Huh? But, Prue, we don't know his powers or.."  
  
"Just do it, Pheebs. Jump him, tackle him, I don't care. You've got super strength, remember?" Prue interrupted.  
  
"Okay." Phoebe said hesitantly. She trusted Prue, but was nervous only for the fact that they knew nothing of the Riddler's powers. She shrugged her shoulders and ran towards the Riddler. She discovered had super speed too.  
  
"Hey quiz-master. Riddle this." She yelled as she tackled him to the ground. Her super strength really came in handy; she just had to press a finger to his chest and he was virtually glued to the ground. She smirked, "I could get used to this."  
  
"Nooooo!!!" The Riddler yelled when he saw what Prue was doing. She had halted the movement of the chain which was lowering Piper into the vat. After glancing over the switchboard, Prue found the control to move the chain away from the vat and lowered it gently over the ground.  
  
Leo and Cole rushed over to untie Piper. Her face was stained with tears; she honestly didn't think she would be saved. As soon as she was untied, she leapt up and threw her arms around Leo. "Oh Leo, I thought that was the end. I don't ever want to let go of you." She buried her head in his chest.  
  
"Shhh.Piper. It's okay. Everything's okay now." He stroked her hair and gently kissed the top of her head. "I hate to do this to you now, but you still have to vanquish the Riddler."  
  
Piper pulled away from his embrace. "Gladly." She said fiercely. She walked over to Prue, who was standing over Phoebe and the Riddler.  
  
"Okay, Pheebs, give us something to get rid of this bastard." Piper said, glaring hard at the Riddler, whose joking grin had faded.  
  
"How's this?" Phoebe started.  
  
1 "You've played your games  
  
and had your fun  
  
But now it's time to  
  
See them undone.  
  
Callous joker, leave us be  
  
Your illusionary space  
  
2 Of evil and deceit  
  
Shall disappear without a trace."  
  
"Okay, repeat that with me." Phoebe instructed. She stood up and kept one foot on the Riddler's stomach. The sisters joined hands and repeated the spell. The Riddler screamed a piercing cry and disappeared in a puff of smoke. He left no residue, with the exception of a small card in the shape of a question mark, which no one noticed at first.  
  
"Hm, pretty good improv spell there, Pheebs." Piper said as she walked into Leo's arms again.  
  
"Um, guys, I hate to break up the victory festivities, but what about Bruce Wayne and Cornelius Bigbucks?" Cole said. "I mean, we can't very well leave them kidnapped forever."  
  
It was then that Phoebe noticed the card that the Riddler left behind. "Uh, guys." She picked it up and brought it over to the rest of the gang. "Look. I think this will lead us to our innocents."  
  
"Well what does it say?" Prue asked impatiently.  
  
Phoebe opened the card and read what was written inside.  
  
"Riddle me this, riddle me that  
  
The man of money and the man of bat  
  
At the corner of nowhere and somewhere near  
  
They're heads are being filled, I fear.  
  
Try to reach them before the close  
  
If you can decipher my enigmatic prose."  
  
"Piper?" Phoebe looked at her middle sister expectantly.  
  
"What are you asking me for? I'm just as confused as you are." Piper snapped at her sister.  
  
"I think what she's asking, Piper, is if you heard the Riddler say anything while he had you." Prue said gently.  
  
Piper shook her head, "No, I was knocked out almost the entire time."  
  
Phoebe hid her disappointment from Piper. "It's okay." She said quietly. "We'll just have to figure this one out like we figured the last one out."  
  
"Okay," Prue took charge. Grabbing the card from Phoebe, she read it over again to herself. "Well, we know it's on a corner." She said encouragingly.  
  
"They're heads are being filled." Cole said to himself. He began pacing around. Filled with what? He asked himself.  
  
"Well they're not dead." Phoebe said. "Otherwise he wouldn't be tempting us to find them."  
  
"Yeah, but look at this.'reach them before the close'. If we don't get to this building before it closes, maybe they will be dead." Piper pointed out.  
  
"Movie theatre?" Leo suggested. Prue and Phoebe gave him a look that read "Duh.."  
  
"You know, Leo, you're really not good at these riddles." Piper gave him a condescending look. "Anyone else?" She sighed. Leo looked defeated, and sat down on a nearby box. 'What's the use?' he thought to himself.  
  
Cole continued to pace and finally came up with the answer.  
  
"Phoebe, I've got it." Phoebe looked at Cole skeptically. "No, no really. It's the library."  
  
The sisters mulled over this idea for a moment.  
  
"You know, Cole, I think you're right." Prue said.  
  
"Hmph, you're good at these things, aren't ya?" Phoebe moved over to kiss him.  
  
"Ahem!" Prue coughed.  
  
Piper took Leo's hand and lifted him off of the box. "How come he's so good at these and you're so useless?" She asked half-teasing, half-serious.  
  
"I like to save my talents for other areas." He gave her a suggestive smile.  
  
"Oh.and don't think I'm not grateful." She smiled back at him.  
  
"Excuse me!!! We have to focus on saving our innocents! You guys can do the hibbety dibbety when we get back to our realm, okay? Okay." Prue said sternly. It was times like this that she was very jealous of her sisters' successful relationships. "Come on." She led the other four towards the exit.  
  
  
  
Part 8  
  
"How the hell are we supposed to find the library?" moaned a restless Piper who just wanted to return home to her daughter.  
  
"Wait, I don't see how library answers the riddle," interrupted Leo with a confused look on his face.  
  
"Well I guess I was thinking their heads were being filled with 'knowledge.' What else can you fill a head with?" responded Cole.  
  
"Air?" suggested Prue, motioning towards Phoebe. Phoebe scowled at her sister and stuck out her tongue.  
  
"But what about the 'corner of nowhere' part?" asked Piper. "Are we supposed to find Nowhere street or something?"  
  
"Well it's nearby, we know that much," answered Prue thinking back to the riddle. "Maybe the nowhere part is supposed to throw us off."  
  
"I think Prue has a point," added Phoebe. "Maybe the 'corner of nowhere' means that the building is on a street, just not at the corner."  
  
"That seems too easy," Leo said shaking his head still pondering the puzzle. He noticed that Piper had wrapped her arms around herself and was shivering from the coldness of the night. He took off the light jacket he was wearing and offered it to his wife. She readily accepted it and he put his arms around her to keep her warm.  
  
"Does anyone have the power to warm things up?" she asked the group. "I'm freezing!"  
  
"Wait a sec Piper," said Prue thinking aloud. "I have the power to shrink things, Phoebe has super strength and super speed, what do you have?"  
  
"Good question," replied Piper. She gave her husband a questioning look but he shook his head indicating he had no idea. "There's only one way to find out," she stated with determination. Letting go of Leo, she stood before everyone and closed her eyes.  
  
"Uh, what exactly are you doing Piper?" asked Prue with impatience. "It's almost 10 pm. The library's going to close soon and we're going to lose our two-dimensional innocents," she continued, pointing to her watch. Almost as soon as the words had left Prue's mouth, Piper had disappeared.  
  
"Oh not again," groaned Cole.  
  
"Where'd she go?" questioned Leo, frantically looking around for his wife with a look of desperation. Suddenly she reappeared just where she had left.  
  
"You can astral project!" yelled Prue when her sister had returned.  
  
Piper grinned widely. "No better!" she exclaimed. "I can warp! And you'll never guess where I just was."  
  
"The library?" asked Leo.  
  
"No the movie theatre," Piper replied sarcastically.  
  
"It's not my fault if I'm not good at riddles," Leo said.  
  
"Well what are we doing waiting around here," asked Cole. "Take us to the library." Piper nodded her head in agreement. She took her husband's hand in hers who then took Prue's and so on. When the group was linked through touch, Piper would be able to transport them all to whatever place she wanted. All she had to do was concentrate on it. In an instant they had vanished into thin air leaving the street as deserted as they had found it, the homeless man still asleep in the corner and the lonely newspaper billowing this way and that down the road.  
  
When they reappeared, they found themselves at the appropriate destination. In front of them was a tall, looming building with giant concrete pillars at the entrance. In huge letters at the top the word 'library' was engraved in stone.  
  
"Alright, it's 9:55 so we have five minutes to get in there and save them," announced Prue, climbing the stairs to the entrance.  
  
"But we vanquished the demon so it's not like they're in any danger, are they?" added Piper.  
  
"Well how do you know they're not tied up with some anvil over their heads waiting to fall exactly when the library closes at ten?" Prue inquired.  
  
"Prue we're not in Bugs Bunny anymore," was Phoebe's reply.  
  
"Gee, thanks Pheebs, I hadn't noticed. Now come on," she repeated, assuming the usual position as leader of the group. They followed her with tired reluctance up the grand staircase to the wooden doors. Prue grabbed the handle and pulled but not surprisingly the door didn't budge. Before she could say anything, Phoebe had already approached the second door and had torn it off its hinges. With a calm smile she held the door open and said, "After you," directly to Prue who subsequently ran through the open hole. She found herself in the lobby of the institution surrounded by nothing but darkness and silence. The others came up behind her and surveyed the room with their eyes.  
  
"Over there," shouted Cole pointing to a slightly ajar door with a sliver of light emerging from the bottom of it. They headed towards it with Prue in front. When she reached the door she slowly pushed it open, not knowing what to expect. What they found in the room was the two hostages bound to chairs and gagged.  
  
"No anvils, no pots of boiling stuff.looks like he was rushed," Prue said making her way over to the men. "Phoebe could you give me a hand?"  
  
"I can give you two," answered Phoebe who speedily undid the knots and freed the victims.  
  
"How come they're not waking up?" asked Piper worriedly. Prue checked the pulses of Batman and Mr. Bigbucks and found they were strong and steady.  
  
"They've just passed out. They'll be fine in a few minutes," she answered. "Looks like our work here is done," she added with a grin.  
  
"Great!" exclaimed Piper, "Now can I please get home to my daughter."  
  
"Of course sweetie," said Prue, putting an arm around the shoulders of her sister.  
  
"How exactly are we going to do that?" asked Phoebe. "We don't have the potion with us."  
  
"This is true," said Piper rolling her eyes and making her way over to her husband who took his wife in his arms.  
  
"Don't worry, honey," he said comforting her and rubbing her back. "I'll figure this out."  
  
"Oh now we'll never get back!" she moaned. Phoebe couldn't help letting out a giggle but quickly put her hand over her mouth to suppress it. But it was too late, Piper had the entire group laughing. As they lost themselves in their hilarity they didn't notice the gothic motif slowly dissolve around them and return to the familiar living room of the manor.  
  
Part 9  
  
"You know, honey, I'm not very happy at being the brunt of your jokes." Leo informed Piper. She stopped laughing for a second and looked up at him.  
  
"I'm sorry, Leo, it's just.we're home!" She exclaimed when she noticed where they were. "See, making fun of you got us home!" Leo didn't look amused. "Leo, you saved us!" Piper said encouragingly, and Leo gave a small smile.  
  
"Piper, let's go check on Melinda." He took her hand to lead her, but she ran ahead, pulling him behind her.  
  
Phoebe chuckled, "Sometimes Piper can be so mean to Leo!" Prue and Cole smiled and nodded in agreement.  
  
Prue sat down on the couch and picked up the television remote.  
  
"Prue, you can't be serious?! We just got out of the TV, don't you want a break from it?" Phoebe asked incredulously.  
  
Prue smiled back at her sister, "Yeah, but we vanquished the demon, remember? There's nothing wrong with the TV anymore." She answered, flicking the TV on to the news.  
  
".and the recent string of child violence has ended as mysteriously as it started." The newscaster reported. Prue turned the TV off. "Well, that's good to know."  
  
Phoebe and Cole sat down on the loveseat together, hoping Piper and Leo would return soon so they could tell the family their happy news.  
  
As if on cue, Piper and Leo came down the stairs, Leo holding a sleepy Melinda in his arms.  
  
"Time must've picked up where we left it." Piper said, "Melinda was crying into her pillow, poor girl, still upset at when Leo had yelled at her."  
  
Leo defended himself, "She pushed you down the stairs, Piper!"  
  
Melinda looked up with wide eyes, "Sorry mummy."  
  
Piper ruffled her hair, "I forgive you, sweetie." Melinda smiled. Piper sat down on the couch next to Prue, and Leo sat down next to Piper, holding Melinda in his lap.  
  
Phoebe looked up at Cole with big eyes, wondering if this was the right time to tell the family. Cole smiled and nodded.  
  
Phoebe took a deep breath, "Cole and I have something to tell you."  
  
"There's going to be a new addition to the family, Melinda," Cole said, placing his niece in his lap. Melinda's eyes lit up, "Are we getting a puppy aunt Phoebe?!?" she asked excitedly. The group laughed at Melinda's innocence.  
  
"No honey," replied Phoebe. "You're going to have a brand new baby cousin."  
  
Shrieks of joy were let out by Piper and Prue who threw themselves onto the couch next to their sister and congratulated her with a giant hug. Leo stood up, made his way over to his brother in law and shook his hand before giving him a hug and pat on the back as well.  
  
"When did you find out?" asked an excited Prue.  
  
"Just recently," answered Phoebe. "I was waiting for a good time to tell you."  
  
"This is so amazing! I'm going to be an aunt, finally!" exclaimed Piper. "Do you think Aunt Piper sounds better than Auntie Piper?"  
  
"I think Aunt Prue sounds the best," retorted Prue. Phoebe smiled at her sisters and then looked over at her husband who smiled right back.  
  
"Auntie Phoebe?" Melinda stared up at her aunt with wide eyes. "If you're having a baby from your tummy, why aren't you fat?"  
  
They all chuckled at Melinda, who was completely serious.  
  
"Come on, Melinda, Mummy and Daddy will take you back up to bed and explain about babies and mummies getting fat, okay?" Piper said, lifting Melinda out of Phoebe's lap and handing her to Leo. Piper leaned over and kissed Phoebe's forehead. "Congratulations." She smiled at her younger sister and at Cole. "You take care of her."  
  
Cole nodded and pulled Phoebe into an embrace. "Of course I will."  
  
Piper and Leo smiled and took Melinda upstairs. Phoebe, Cole and Prue could hear Melinda's small voice pressing her parents for answers to her questions. "When will Auntie Phoebe get fat?" followed by "Can I name the baby? I'll name her Barbie." And then "Where do babies come from?" Prue could just imagine Piper and Leo rolling their eyes at each other.  
  
"Well," Prue started, pushing herself up from her chair. "I'm off to sleep now, all this excitement in one day has really worn me out." She took Phoebe and Cole's hands in hers. "Congrats, you two. You deserve to be this happy." She blew kisses to both of them, said her goodnights and dragged herself up the stairs.  
  
Prue thought of something, and yelled down the stairs, "Don't go watching any TV now! You don't want to corrupt your little baby!"  
  
Phoebe and Cole were still in each others arms, and upon hearing Prue, chuckled softly. "So," Phoebe said gently. "What now?"  
  
Cole smiled, "Let's not think to far ahead. I'd rather stay here in this moment. Just for a little while longer."  
  
And that's what they did. They remained on the loveseat until Phoebe fell asleep in Cole's arms, thinking of their future, despite what her husband had told her. She couldn't help it; it was all so exciting. There was to be a new baby in the family. Her baby. Hers and Cole's. What a perfect ending, or rather, beginning, to a long, hard journey.  
  
THE END. 


End file.
